Method for applying an artificial nail and protecting surrounding nail tissue from irritating nail coating compositions



Oct. 11, 1966 M M. LAPPE 3,277,900

METHOD FOR APPLYING AN ARTIFICIAL NAIL AND PROTECTIN SURROUNDING NAILTISSUE FROM IRRITATING NAIL COATING COMPOSITIONS Filed Jan. 31, 1964 I NVE N Tale 4 fliarwell 7i]. Lap x:

United States Patent 3,277,900 METHOD FQR APPLYING AN ARTIFICIAL NAELAND PRUTECTENG SURROUNDING NAIL TES- SUE FRUM TRRTTATENG NAIL COATINGCUM- PUSETKUNS Maxwell M. Lappe, 20 S. Austin Blvd, @alr Park, Ill.Filed Jan. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 341,596 2 Claims. (Cl. l3273) Thisinvention relates to the preparation and to the attachment of artificialnails onto the nails of fingers and toes and it relates moreparticularly to the process which provides for the protection of themore delicate tissues otherwise exposed to the irritating or corrosiveelements present in the binders and compositions used to attachartificial nails to overlie the areas naturally covered by nails onfingers and toes.

In my previously issued Patent No. 3,037,514, description is made of amethod and means for the formation and attachment of artificial nails bythe use of a die plate to form the artificial nail from resinuousmaterials and the adhesion of the nail to the natural nail forattachment to form a part thereof. In the composition used to form theartificial nail and in the attachment thereof to the natural nail, useis often made of components which irritate or otherwise deleteriouslyaffect the more delicate tissues and skin bordering the nail area, as bydrying out onto the skin or tissue, irritating the skin or tissue, orotherwise extracting components such as oils from the adjacent skin ortissue, thereby undesirably to affect the adjacent areas. Such reactionscan result from the monomeric components used to dissolve the polymer inthe formulation of the composition cured to form the nail, as in the useof methyl methacrylate, vinyl chloride and the like monomers in the nailforming composition.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method and means forprotection of the areas adjacent the nail but without interfering withthe function and adherence of the artificial nail and withoutintroduction of factors which would otherwise be objectionable to theuser or introduce other undesirable side effects, such as unnaturalappearance, or a coating which would remain to impart an unnaturalappearance or feel to the more sensitive tissues and areas immediatelyadjacent the nail.

It is a related object to provide a process of the type describedwherein a removable protective coating is applied to cover the areasadjacent the nail but which does not interfere with the reaction in thepreparation of the artificial nail or its adhesion to the natural nailand which is removable subsequent to the formation and application ofthe artificial nail to return the adjacent areas to their normal andnatural appearance and condition thereby to alleviate side effects whileenhancing the formation and adherence of the artificial nail.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention willhereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not oflimitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which- FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a fragmentary endportion of a finger with the areas adjacent the nail coated inaccordance with the practice of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to that shown in FIG. 1 showing theartificial nail formed and bonded to the natural nail; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing theartificial nail in position of use with the areas adjacent the nailfreed of the coating initially applied to protect the area.

In accordance with an important concept of this invention, beforeapplication of the fluid composition used to form the artificial nail orfor adhesion of the formed ice artificial nail to the natural nail, theareas surrounding the nail are coated with a composition containing afilm forming material which when dry is substantially impervious toirritant materials, such as monomers for addition polymerization inresin formation, catalysts such as the peroxides and the like, orsolvents contained in the composition for nail formation or adhesion andin which the dried film is soft and flexible and preferably soluble inaqueous medium to enable removal of the applied protective coatingsubsequent to nail formation and adhesion simply by washing the areasadjacent the nail with water or other aqueous medium which will in noway affect the artificial nail but will quickly remove the protectivecoating material.

The protective coating composition can be limited in its applicationonly to the areas surrounding the nail but it is more expedient andoften times easier to permit overlap to include all or a part of theadjacent nail area to insure proper coverage and protection of the moredelicate tissues immediately adjacent the nail. The overlap covering allor part of the adjacent nail area eliminates the need carefully to applythe coating composition and the protective coating composition, whendry, often provides a more receptive base for adhesion of the artificialnail to the underlying natural nail.

The characteristics essential to the protective coating composition arethat it be of a viscosity capable of flow into the smallest crevicesbetween the nail and skin surrounding the nail and that it be formulatedto contain a material that is capable of forming a continuous film upondrying and wherein the film is characterized by imperviousness to liquidand vapors from the materials embodied in the artificial nailcomposition and in the binder with which the artificial nail is securedto the top side of the natural nail, and thereby to block access thereofto the delicate tissues surrounding the nail, at least for the period oftime that such irritant materials are available as a liquid or vapor inthe applied binder or composition. Thus, it is not essential for thefilm former in the protective coating composition to be permanentlyresistant to the passage of such liquids or vapors since it will sufiiceto protect the tissues if the film former is effective for only suchperiod of time as such irritant materials are in a migratory or fiowablecondition. Thereafter, the protective coating serves no useful purposeand can be removed either by solvent, if solvent soluble and waterinsoluble, or by aqueous medium, if water soluble.

For this purpose, the film forming component formulated in theprotective coating composition can be selected of nitrocellulose orother cellulose ether or ester such as ethyl cellulose, celluloseacetate, or preferably water soluble or water dispersible cellulosederivatives such as methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose orhydroxyethyl cellulose. While not equivalent, use can also be made ofwater soluble colloids such as polyvinyl alcohol, alginates, casein andthe like, alone or preferably in combination with the water solublecellulose derivatives.

The following is given by way of illustration, but not by way oflimitation, of a suitable coating composition and its method of use toachieve the concepts of this invention:

Example 1 Coating composition:

4 parts by weight dinitrocellulose 96 parts by weight solvent, made upof 3 volumes ethyl ether and 1 volume ethyl alcohol Example 2 Coatingcomposition:

3 parts by weight carboxymethyl cellulose 97 parts by weight water Thecoating composition of Examples 1 or 2 is applied by a brush onto theportions of the finger immediately adjacent the nail for flow into thecrevices between the skin and nail and to cover portions of the tissue12 or skin surrounding the nail. The coating composition can also beapplied as an overall coating but it is suflicient if it is applied tooverlap only the boundary portion of the nail 14. The coatingcomposition is allowed to dry to set the film as a protective covering16 between the nail and finger and over the adjacent delicate tissues.Thereafter the artificial nail is formed in accordance with theprocedures taught in the aforementioned issued Patent No. 3,037,514 asby the combination of polymethylmethacrylate and methylmethacrylatemonomer applied to a suitable die and bonded by suitable adhesive ontothe artificial nail.

Upon removal of the die, the artificial nail 18 remains bonded to theunderlying natural nail to form an integral part thereof but with theareas adjacent the nail still being protected and covered by the film 16previously applied.

After the artificial nail has been properly attached and the materialsof the nail and adhesive cured and dried, the finger may be washed inaqueous medium in the event of protection by the composition of Example2, or in ether and alcohol in the event of protection by the compositionof Example 1, to remove the exposed portions of the protective coatingextending beyond the artificial nail to free the underlying tissue whichit has protected.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a means andmethod for preparation and application of artificial nails for adherenceonto natural nails in a manner which eliminates odjections heretoforeaddressed to the drying out of the skin, to the irritation of the skinand tissue, and to discoloration of the skin and tissue in the areasadjacent to natural nail.

The concepts of this invention are applicable and are intended toinclude the described treatment and process for the application of thecoating and its removal for protection of sensitive tissue adjacent thenails against corrosive ingredients and materials present in nailpolishes and the like which are normally applied to the natural nails.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details offormulation and use without departing from the spirit of the invention,especially as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In the method of applying and adhering an artificial nail onto anatural nail via the use of a liquid adhesive composition containing atleast one component to which the tissues adjacent the natural nail aresensitive, the steps of coating the area adjacent the natural nail witha fluid composition having dissolved therein a film forming materialwhich can block the penetration of said component in the adhesivecomposition when dried, allowing the coating to dry to provide aprotective film on the tissues adjacent the natural nail, and thereafterapplying the adhesive and artificial nail onto the natural nail, and inwhich the fluid composition is applied to at least a portion of thenatural nail adjacent the surrounding tissue.

2. In the method of applying and adhering an artificial nail onto anatural nail via the use of a liquid adhesive composition containing atleast one component to which the tissues adjacent the natural nail aresensitive, the steps of coating the area adjacent the natural nail witha fluid composition having dissolved therein a film forming materialwhich can block the penetration of said component in the adhesivecomposition when dried, allowing the coating to dry to provide aprotective film on the tissues adjacent the natural nail, and thereafterapplying the adhesive and artificial nail onto the natural nail, and inwhich the fluid composition is applied also to the surface of thenatural nail to provide a receptive base for the artificial nail.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,449,070 9/1948Hauser 16785 2,941,535 6/1960 Lappe l3273 3,037,514 6/1962 Lappe 132-lOTHER REFERENCES Viola, L.J.: Fingernail Elongators and Accessory NailPreparations, in Cosmetics Science and Technology, ed. by EdwardSagarin, Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York, September 16, 1957,chapter 31, page 693.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. MORGAN, Examiner.

R. L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN THE METHOD OF APPLYING AND ADHERING AN ARTIFICIAL NAIL ONTO ANATURAL NAIL VIA THE USE OF A LIQUID ADHESIVE COMPOSITION CONTAINING ATLEAST ONE COMPONENT TO WHICH THE TISSUES ADJACENT THE NATURAL NAIL ARESENSITIVE, THE STEPS OF COATING THE AREA ADJACENT THE NATURAL NAIL WITHA FLUID COMPOSITION HAVING DISSOLVED THEREIN A FILM FORMING MATERIALWHICH CAN BLOCK THE PENETRATION OF SAID COMPONENT IN THE ADHESIVECOMPOSITION WHEN DRIED, ALLOWING THE COATING TO DRY TO PROVIDE APROTECTIVE FILM ON THE TISSUES ADJACENT THE NATURAL NAIL, AND THEREAFTERAPPLYING THE ADHESIVE AND ARTIFICIAL NAIL ONTO THE NATURAL NAIL, AND INWHICH THE FLUID COMPOSITION IS APPLIED TO AT LEAST A PORTION OF THENATURAL NAIL ADJACENT THE SURROUNDING TISSUE.